Awareness programme launched to promote organ donation at grassroots level

Seeking to foster a culture of organ donation, a grassroots-level awareness programme that aims to reach out to over a million people in two years was launched on Friday by Union minister Ramdas Athawale, officials said.

The initiative, led by a private hospital, seeks to encourage people to pledge organs.

"The programme aims to reach out to over a million people at the grassroots level in a period of two years," the hospital said in a statement.

The initiative to educate and raise awareness about the importance of saving lives by pledging organs was launched in Mathura by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, in the presence of members of the Rotary Club and the Organ Donation India Foundation, Nayati Healthcare said in the statement.

The hospital serves not only the population of western Uttar Pradesh but is a centre of excellence for north India.

"I am happy to be part of the Nayati Organ Donation (NOD) programme. I am sure through the initiative, they will reach out to people across different sections of the society, educate and empower them to participate in the noble cause and thus strengthen the nation," Athawale said.

Nayati Healthcare chairperson Niira Radia said every day one witnesses precious lives being lost for the need of organs, and the situation is "more acute" in this region where people struggle with chronic organ diseases, and most of the times, are not even aware of the magnitude of their condition.

She said soon a heart and lung transplant programme will be launched by the facility.

"India is witness to huge disparity between the number of transplants awaited, and the organs available," she claimed.

The idea behind this initiative is to "bring about a change in the perceptions and foster a culture of organ donation," she said.